1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for smashing aluminum cans. More specifically, the present invention is a device for holding aluminum cans so the cans can be run over by an automobile, thus smashing or crushing the cans into a flatten configuration for recycling.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recycling of aluminum cans is an environmentally responsible activity and some people collect and recycle aluminum cans to earn extra money. Because aluminum cans are hollow, they are bulky and hard to handle and transport. For this reason, it is desirable to smash empty aluminum cans into a flattened configuration so that they are easier to store and transport.
Various devices have been devised for smashing aluminum cans. Some of these devices require the user to exert pulling or pushing force on a lever provided on the device in order to flatten a can contained within the device. Children and some adults may find these types of lever operated devices hard to operate.
Other devices for smashing aluminum cans are mechanized and are provided with power means for flattening a can. Each of these types of devices requires some type of motor, usually an electrically powered motor, in order for the device to function. Devices that require motors are expensive.
None of the existing devices are designed to employ a relatively free source of energy to smash cans, such as for example, the force exerted by tires and the weight of an automobile as the automobile moves. However, one problem with smashing aluminum cans by running over the cans with tires of an automobile is that the cans tend to move or be shot out from under the approaching tire.
The present invention addresses this problem by providing a device that successful holds empty aluminum cans in place in the path of an approaching automobile tire, allowing the tire to roll over the cans and smash them flat. The present device is provided with a flat surface onto which the empty cans are placed and flexible concave covers that extend over the empty cans in order to hold the cans against movement as the fire approaches. The passing tire flattens both the flexible concave covers and the aluminum cans, but the flexible concave covers return to their original configuration after the tire passes over them. The concave covers also protect the tires from being damaged by the aluminum cans as they are crushed. The cans, however, are permanently smashed into a flattened configuration and can easily be removed from the device and the device can hung vertically to make it easier to be reloaded with additional empty cans that need to be smashed.